The other week I was invited to moderate some round table discussions about B2C eMail marketing at the Digital Cream conference in London.  It was organised by Econsultancy and the table I was on was sponsored by the eMail marketing specialist eDialogue.

It was a revealing day, as industry professionals shared ideas and opinions. Given the complex nature of email marketing, many were also looking for magical tips and tricks to revolutionize their work.

Some may have had their prayers answered, but for most it was the perfect chance to become better informed and to leave inspired to try new approaches.

Here are some of the recurring themes that came out of the sessions.

1. The importance of segmentation – put your prospects or customers in to meaningful categories and only communicate things that are relevant. This is a proven way of increasing your chances of attracting their attention but most companies, especially small ones, find it particularly hard.  If you are guilty of his seek professional help – fast

Remember – the larger the company, the more they invest in email segmentation.

2. Mobile – an increasing number of people now read and deal with email via their mobile phone. You need to start writing and designing with this in mind. Be mindful of the fact that financial transactions via mobile tend to decrease in comparison to when an email is read via the desktop. In ecommerce terms the Holy Grail is to improve conversion via mobile.

3. HTML5 in email has the potential to increase dramatically the level of interactivity and engagement. In particular the use of video, which is generally perceived as a powerful way of getting readers to take action.

4. Play close attention to your Unsubscribe option. Make it easy for users to unsubscribe and if you have several email newsletters make it very clear about which ones are which. Try to get into the habit of auditing your unsubsribes as this will give you invaluable intelligence.

 5. “Use Social Media to do the listening”.  SM is great for telling you what people want so that you can communicate with greater relevance. Be mindful of the fact that those who sign-up via your Facebook page because of an offer or the chance to win a prize, are not going to be very receptive to the marketing emails you send out subsequently.

6. Timings – experiment and test the time of day, or day of the week, you send out emails. The weekends are perceived as good days. This is because people tend to work through email at the weekends at a more leisurely pace.

7. RSS – always add an RSS feed to your email at this is an easy way of opening another channel and making sure prospects can effortlessly keep up to date.

8. Postcard emails work well when you are promoting a single product or service. The reader only has to read and process one idea, so they don’t have to work so hard. If appropriate, add an urgent timescale to encourage response.

9. Always include a contact telephone number.  This may seem obvious but it’s amazing how many emails are sent out without one. Yes, people who are genuinely interested want to speak to you.

10. Be Humble – spend more time thinking about the email from the point of the user, who is probably dealing with hundreds of emails. Would you like to receive the email you are planning to send  out?

This is a good list. It shows that the basics never really go away and that whatever the technology, knowing what your audience really wants is the key to effective communication.

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The difficulty with most online video is that that, as a viewer, you are unsure whether you have the time to watch it or not. There’s a fear that you’ll get trapped into watching something that’s going to be a waste of time.

When on YouTube you probably have a quick check at the duration before you commit yourself. Even when the video starts you want re-assurance that it’s going to be a good use of you time.

Yes, that clock in your head is always ticking away when on line. The smart people at BBC News Entertainment and Arts know this. That’s why they have a clever online video series called 5 Minutes With:.…

Unsurprisingly, the basic premise is a 5 minute interview with an interesting or well-known person. Yes, my 10-year old son confirms that Hulk Hogan counts…

Watch 5 Minutes with Hulk Hogan and you will see how the producers

• have a 6 second opening with a clock tick-tocking away (this is all you need for an online video intro)
• introduce the presenter (Matthew Stadlen) holding a whacking great big alarm clock
• get the interviewee to count-down to the start of the 5-minute interview once the batteries are put in
• have the running time very clearly displayed in a large font at the bottom of the screen – so that you always know exactly how many minutes are left
• have the alarm clock ring when the 5-minutes is up.

Simply and cleverly these videos manage your expectations perfectly. They repeatedly sow the seed that it’s 5 minutes and no more.  In fact, they are often 6 minutes but because they’ve sold you the 5-minute concept you are happy to stay for longer.

They condition you into committing yourself and always let you know how few minutes are left. You are then less inclined to log-off or click ‘stop’.

Of course, it helps if the interviewee is interesting and the interviewer is good.  In my opinion, Matthew Stadlen does an excellent job.

The next time you put-up some online video, why don’t you

• make sure your viewer knows how long you want their attention for
• put a large digital count down clock on the frame.

You’ll then have viewers more disposed to watch what you publish because they are mentally prepared for how much time it’s going to take.

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Whether you have a Digital Value Point (DVP) depends on your type of business and the channels through which customers experience your customer service.

Although having a DVP sounds like some contagious disease, you can only catch it if your business communicates with customers in the following three ways.

1. Face-to-face via a shop or retail outlet
2. On the telephone, as part of a customer service call centre
3. Via an eCommerce website.

As my rather crude diagram below shows, the DVP lies where these three communication channels overlap.

Why is it important to recognise you have a DVP?

If you are in this position the chances are that your business has evolved from retail, to online, to having a customer service call centre. If so, you have a mature or established business. With this comes an expectation of the very best in customer service communication skills.

On the shop floor, customers expect you to

• Engage with them and develop a rapport
• Be polite and courteous
• Know your product extremely well
• Provide additional information, when required
• Ensure that the experience is worth a repeat visit.

When online, your customers expect content that is

• Speedy to use and navigate
• Rich in rapport so they want to scan, skim or even read it
• Relevant to their needs as a buyer
• High in credibility so they are willing to buy?

When on the telephone, your customers expect you to

• Answer their questions swiftly and efficiently
• Effortlessly manage all of the screens and systems in front of you
• Process their orders or requests.

At any time each of these sales and communication channels can replace the other. Which one a customer uses will depend up on habit, convenience and past experience.

Each channel has to offer a customer service experience as good as the other. Remember, some people feel that calling the a Customer Service number, is the equivalent to calling the head office, so they expect an even better service.

In a nutshell…

Customer service and the DVP is about

• Excellent communication skills
• Digital proficiency (website, eCommerce and CMS)
• Great product knowledge
• Sales know-how – so you can suggest additional items
• Calm composure  – for when things go wrong
• An ambassadorial nature – especially when you are the first point of contact
• Flexibility  – the ability to juggle all of the above

In many cases these skills are underestimated or taken for granted.  That’s why companies with a DVP tend recognise this and invest in those who are at the forefront of the customer experience.

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The week before Christmas is a good time to think about the things you’ve learned over the past 12 months in relation to your own business.

Who knows, they may even have an impact on any strategic resolutions, you plan to make.

However, for some of you, the clarity of them might be influenced by the quality and quantity of mulled wine and other pre-Christmas tipples…

In the field of digital communication, here’s a Christmas Cracker of my top 12 (in no particular order of priority):

1. Headlines are undervalued and misunderstood

Whether you are writing an online piece of copy, sending out a newsletter or an email, the Headline or Subject Line requires much more of your attention than you think.

It’s 80% of the battle when trying to cut through the clutter and get your reader’s attention.  Most headlines are too short, unspecific and try to be too clever.  The good news is that there are proven headline formulas you can apply.

2. eMail Customer Service is increasingly important

As we buy more and more online products, good communication via digital media is essential.  This means having eMail Customer Service teams who can write well and who understand the digital mindset of their customers. Twitter and Facebook are all part of the Customer Service mix.

3. Web designers are still woefully ill-informed about the psychology of digital communication

An old bug-bear of mine but I see little evidence of designers organising visual communications in the knowledge of how people read and process digital information. Make sure you work with designers who know what works and why.

4. The more time spent online the greater the need for concision

Digital readers now expect you to convey your message in a concise and informative way.  This is true whether they are reading web-text or an email. It’s also influenced by the desire to read on an iPhone or Android device. Short sentences and words with a low syllable count are the mantra for 2012.

5. More and more communication is in ‘real-time’

With so many communication channels to play with they need feeding.  ‘Real-time’ is about what’s happening right now so that there’s a continuous communication pulse. (I’m not too hot at real-time myself but I advise those with established communication teams to develop the habit.)

6.  The Power of the Digital Value Point

Companies that sell via their shops, website and call centre (telephone) have what I call a Digital Value Point (DVP). This is where the three services overlap.  If you can master the DVP communications you have a very lucrative business. e.g. Louis Vuitton.

7. Social Media Strategy is influenced by temperament

The likelihood is that you are either someone who likes to Tweet and use Facebook/Linkedin, or you are not.

If you are not temperamentally suited to it, don’t do it just because you feel you should. Outsource it to an agency with a track record in delivering what’s called Community Engagement.

8. Master the use of Design Text

Very simply, this means learning how to use bold, CAPS, the : and ( )s and any other little symbol that can help your text STAND OUT. It’s increasingly important with TWITTER.

9. No Brand Values = Wooly Communication

It’s revealing to see how unclear companies are about their brand values. Do you know what yours are?  If you do, they they will have a direct impact on the way you write and the words you use.

10. Discover your Tribal Words

All businesses are part of a tribe. Your customers, colleagues and peers feel comfortable when you use the same language. Discover the words that are pertinent to your business or sector and use them.

11. Online videos are too long

Online videos work best if they are only 30 seconds.  Your users are not temperamentally wired to view a video for 2 – 3 minutes. They want you to inform, involve and inspire them as quickly as possible.

12. Offline and Online Personas

As online experiences change the way we neurologically think, your customers (and you) have both an offline and online persona. Design, develop and distribute your communication strategy with this in mind. One approach does not fit all.

Which of these ‘crackers’ resonate with you?

There’s probably at least three.

Find out which they are and think about how they might influence they way you communicate in 2012.

What have YOU learned this year?

Please let me know so I can then add them to the list.

I recently read that “the days of big-budget corporate video are over. This is the YouTube era.”

This is only partly true.  Yes, you can now produce good videos with less money and, yes, YouTube does appear part of our collective consciousness.

But as the two video examples below illustrate, effective online video is about having the right production know-how and producing footage that is tailored for a specific viewer.

In response to all the tat that’s floating about on YouTube, research has show that people are more likely to watch an online video if the production values are high and it has a feeling of professionalism.  Not surprisingly, it appears we have an in-built radar for detecting rubbish.

In my opinion both of these videos are very watchable.

Online Video 1

The first is a corporate video produced by Stadium Marketing Solutions.

http://stadiummarketingsolutions.com/video.html

If you are looking to sell corporate hospitality in your sports stadium (if you happen to have one…), the video tells you what they do, why they do it and why you would want to contract them. It also includes a great video testimonial.

On the main site there’s also good use of an online video presenter – the only problem with this is that you have to ‘pause’ her each time you go back to a page. Worth consideration nevertheless.

Online Video 2

The second is from Mary Howard Sales

My apologies for introducing Christmas at the end of September, but this company specialises in Christmas Fairs.

http://www.maryhowardsales.co.uk/index.php

This video is slickly produced and it’s full of video testimonials creatively cut together. A lot of thought has gone into the production  – clearly it’s not one man and his Flip camera.

Personally, you would have to drag me kicking and screaming to such an event but I can bet that on the strength of this video many people are tempted to visit one of the sales or become a stall-holder.

Clearly, because neither of these videos are on YouYube, they are not going to auto-play for you now … which is why we like YouTube .

In any event, watch them if you are of the mistaken mindset that video that’s cheap, quick and easy to produce will deliver compelling results.

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Last month I was invited to give a masterclass about how to manage intranets more effectively.

In fact the title I was given was simply ‘Managing Intranets’.

I didn’t think this was particularly inspiring so I came up with, ‘How to make your intranet as popular as Facebook’.

Clearly, this is impossible but judging by the amount of people packed into the room, I think the title worked.

It provided a nice little opener about the power of headlines, even if there was a slight sense of disappointment.

Maybe you are feeling a tad let down too?

Stay with me…

Part of my research for the class was about the importance of participation and engagement when it comes to online communities.

I discovered that a significant number of my clients were using a corporate social media platform called Yammer.

Those that used it were part of an ‘underground’ movement whose commitment and enthusiasm was driving usage.

As one them commentated, “It’s ‘ours’. We set it up, we make it work and we listen to eachother”

More importantly, there were clear, recognisable benefits of using social media in a corporate context.

Named after one of those who helped with my research, I called it The Belhausen Verdict.

Corporate social media provides:

1. Experience: Social Media in a professional context
2. Instant & Direct: Peer sharing, reviewing, discussing of topics, ideas and problems
3. Networking: Facilitation that triumphs across departments and international boundaries
4. Informal Learning: On a day-to-day basis
5. Change: The fact that you SHARE information leads to a change in mentality
6. FAST: Traffic information and other life-enhancing stuff is more instantly available than from traditional intranet pages
7. Freedom: You choose and find the relevant information

Clearly, social media in a corporate context has a lot going for it.

It also implies that parts of the traditional intranet are redundant.

After all, the information that users require is readily available to them via their social media platform.

If it isn’t they just post a request and invariably their ‘friends’ provide the answer or point them in the right direction.

As I’m discovering time and again, online participation and engagement is providing the answers.

Don’t worry about trying to make your intranet popular – instead focus on the sort of things The Belhausen Verdict points to.

Do you have similar experiences?

Clearly, the way we communicate is changing at an amazing rate. All the more reason to come along to my 1-day course on Writing for Digital Media on Friday 4 November.

It’s about how to apply the new rules that govern digital communication.

The Eiffel Tower pic is more interesting than a Customer Service pic!

Last month I was working in Paris with a company that invests a considerable amount of time and energy in customer service.

They are a successful eRetailer and for them customer service is an investment not a cost.

They have several multilingual teams whom they train to be the very best in delivering customer service via email.

I know this sounds maddening but it’s very hard to speak to someone in this company if you have a query about the product you bought.

You have to email them. Just the sort of thing to make my blood pressure soar.

Very deliberately this company aims to train both employee and customer to communicate via email.

I’m sure that you’ve experienced grotty, poorly written emails that are robotic and automated.

Well, that’s where the opportunity lies!

In deciding to give great customer service via email this company knows that customers will naturally talk about them and how good they are.

Customers who come into contact with their customer service team automatically become unwitting marketing agents.

How clever is that?

Some things to think of

If you have such a team or find yourself writing customer service emails, here are a few things to think of

• Brand values – are you communicating in a way that’s congruent with the brand values of your business (If you don’t know what these are…oops!)
• Analsye your customer’s use of English, word selection, salutation/farewell and email layout – it’s a smorgasbord of clues as to who they are and how they think…
• Create categories for their emotional state and why each needs a different type of written response
• Consider the amount of time you should realistically spend on different types of email
  
• Your need for specific digital communication skills as everyone becomes more reliant on email.

Stuff like that.

Because email is used every day, very few companies give serious consideration to the benefits of learning how to write better than their competitors.

As digital communication increases, you’ll quickly be able to spot those that ‘get it’ by they way they respond and write to you.

You won’t even think about tying to pick up the phone because you will have the confidence that they can solve your customer service problem via email.

You’ll be very content to have an email relationship with them.

For those who feel this is important, here’s an outline of my training course on eMail Customer Service.

I came back from my travels earlier this week to find a number of ‘friend’ invitations via YouTube. It’s always fun to watch other people’s videos, so I sat back to view some of the offerings.

As you know ‘user-generated’ content is the THE THING.  You just talk to camera, upload the footage and away you go.  Anyone can do it.

Think about you who represent

However there’s a big problem if you are the presenter and the way you communicate is not congruent with the image you wish to convey.

One of my wannabe ‘friends’ had plonked himself in front of his swimming pool (“look, I really am successful’) with the intention of telling me how I could have the life of my dreams if I was willing to invest some of my time (and money) in his information products and tutoring.

For me the dream fell apart as I watched this man fidget in his seat, fumble his words and clearly lose his train of thought. He came across as unprofessional and inept.

I happen to know for a fact that this man is none of these things. He is a successful info-publisher, which makes it all the more revealing that when it came to presenting himself in front of camera he was unwilling to take the time to do it properly.

He only had to do 3 things:

1. Script what he wanted to say
2. Hire a videographer for a couple of hours
3. Use an autoscript

The autoscript would have allowed him to talk directly to camera effortlessly. He would then have come across as slick, confident and informed.

‘Winging’ it, never delivers good results

The lesson here is to avoid ‘winging’ it.  Having a camera and thinking you know what to say, is no guarantee of a good result.

Talking to camera effortlessly requires practice. Over the years, I have gone into offices to film imposing, successful CEOs only to find that in front of the camera they become hesitant, bumbling fools…

User-generated content has its place, but if the brand values of what you do are linked to how you present yourself visually, avoid taking short-cuts.

And remember,  if you are going to upload your footage onto a video network, it’s going to have long shelf-life – first impressions count.

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We all know that video for business is a hot topic.  The use of online video is an accepted part of business communication, whether it’s via the website, YouTube or part of internal communications.

And, okay, maybe I should be delivering this peering at you via the web cam on my iMac. You know the sort of video – pasty-faced ‘experts’ rambling on in a room or office that does very little to inspire or encourage.  Sorry, but impressions count, and I’m not a fan of that kind of approach.

If you are going to use video for business, it’s time to grow up and start to do things properly.  There’s far too much rubbish floating about, which is itself an opportunity – one that allows you to apply a strategic approach to the way you create, produce and distribute video.

I know a lot about producing video, whether for communications or training, and so here are seven important truths about how we think about video as a business tool and how it’s going to develop over the next 36 months.

1. “It’s cheap and easy so we should be doing it”

Yes, you should be producing video but not just because it’s cheap and easy.  First, you want to define how it’s going to help your market and communicate what you do – you’re then in a position to work out the best way of producing it.

There’s nothing wrong with cheap and easy, so long as the thinking is spot on. Shooting from the hip because you can, doesn’t produce good, long-term results.

Yes, there are very successful cheap viral videos from people like Lauren Luke but they are one-offs. The chances are, you’re not going to be so fortunate.

2. Everyone has a nephew or cousin who makes videos

I’d have a very nice nest egg if I took £1 every time I hear this mentioned.  Just because you know ‘someone who can‘ doesn’t mean you should automatically think of using them. They may well be a budding Orson Welles but unless you are intent on following the ‘cult of the amateur’, it’s an approach best avoided.

User-generated video created via a Flip camera or mobile phone has its place when you want is real-time footage with immediacy and impact. In which case anyone can shoot it because the viewing expectation is low.

Good graphic designers have studied, trained or served some kind of apprenticeship, the same is true those who can produce videos.  Profit from that expertise.

3. Every company needs a video for business strategy

Thinking strategically about video means you think about how your business will look, feel and sound like with video as integral part your media communications

• On your website -  types of video and frequency
• Via video channels - YouTube, Vimeo etc
• Internally – training, coaching, corporate messages

Thinking strategically means you have a clear idea about whether you produce in-house or via a contractor, how video is linked to seasonal events and promotions, the sort of videos customers like to watch, how frequently you need to produce content and how to distribute it.

At the moment, most companies have no idea.

That’s partly because they are yet work work out the financial ROI from an increased use of video.

4. Video is an essential part of a content creation

Good video content has lasting value. Smart companies are building up libraries of video content because

• It makes their website media rich
• Visitors find them entertaining, helpful or both
• It promotes their brand and values
• It promotes a feeling of informality
• It helps with SEO, especially if the video is streamed via YouTube

Remember – to build up a meaningful library of content you have to have a defined video for business strategy, as above.

5. Video production skills will become a corporate competency

As more companies want to produce video, they will want to do more of it in-house.  Already, in the US, companies employ a ‘videographer’ – a person who is responsible for capturing and recording corporate video for internal and external use.

In the UK, there’s a growing requirement amongst large corporates for training in how to professionally

• Set-up a shoot (pre-production)
• Shoot it (production)
• Edit the footage (post-production)

These are skills that are easy to teach and acquire.  The end result is a different story because producing video is a craft that responds to practise and experience.

In the next 36 months you’ll start to see a big improvement in the quality of ‘home-grown’ corporate video.

6. Audiences expect professionally crafted messages

If you are a professional organisation with a reputation to protect, what you shoot and record must be congruent with who you are as a business.

Your viewers will judge you by the quality of what you produce.  Poor lighting, bad camera angles, zooming in and out, bad eye-lines and hesitancy are a big give away.

Companies who think these things don’t matter are wrong.  These days viewers have a very sophisticated radar that tells them when something has been done cheap or on the fly.

If you are going to go down the video route, do it properly!

7.  In-house ‘experts’ will become tomorrows corporate video stars

Most companies hide their ‘experts’ deep within the organisation.  They like to keep them to themselves and only let them loose attached to a strict corporate lead.

Video for business has the power to break that thinking as companies start to make the knowledge the experts have, accessible via video.  This is just the next step on from an expert producing a ‘white paper’.

Some experts may be uncomfortable being in font of the camera, but for those who aren’t there are massive opportunities to demonstrate thought leadership whilst supporting the creation of a content creation strategy.

Who’s are the experts in your company who could go in front of the camera?

The Video for Business Mindset

All this requires a mindset change, a willingness to accept that video as a communication tool has the potential to have a profound way you communicate who you are and how customers perceive you.

It’s also about a culture change and thinking digitally.  Digital natives (those who know no different) have a built-in expectation of this type of media. And the rise and rise of media rich Apps that play on iPads and Android devices, supports the argument that the sooner you start to give video serious strategic thought, the better.

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David Meerman Scott

I was in two minds to write about this but the experience and the lessons are so powerful, I decided to share them.

Last week, I was looking for a structure on which to develop the consulting side of my business. My first port of call was to think about other marketers whom I admire and to take a look at their approach. (Inventing from scratch is always the long-way around…)

I’m very impressed by David Meerman Scott and his whole approach to digital marketing and content engagement. He has a good blog and I’ve read a number of his books. So, I was  pleased to discover that his consulting approach offered a good framework for the ‘in-house’ and coaching side of my work.

So I copied his text and edited it to reflect what I offer as a consultant.

During the day I  juggle a lot of writing work and so I did the initial edit  to my new ‘marketing consultancy’ page and moved onto some other projects.  Before I did so I ‘released’ the page on my site planning to come back to it later.

I also sent out a Tweet about it…

As you know, Twitter  is ‘real-time’ communication and you need to send out a lot, frequently and consistently, if you are to engage with your Followers. As this was a ‘one-off’ Tweet, I didn’t really think much about it.

That evening, I returned to my office after a beautiful spring-time walk with the dogs.

This is what greeted me on my return.

“Oh shit!” I thought. And the colour drained from my face. David Meerman Scott has seen my tweet and read my ‘consultancy’ page. He must think I’m a horrible limey plagiarist!

I immediately sent an honest and grovelling mea culpa message assuring him that it was a work in progress.

He was magnanimous and replied, ‘No worries.  I hope it works out.”

I then hurriedly finished my edit and the following morning sent him another message with a link to the finished piece.

Again he was generous in response. As David and I agreed in our brief communication, what I have just described to you is what the ‘new rules’ of marketing are all about…connectivity and being ready for the unexpected.

If you are going to publish stuff don’t ever assume that the busy and influential are NOT GOING TO TAKE NOTICE of what you send out.  They do!

I never imagined that David would pick up my random, solitary Tweet when he follows 34,067 other Tweeters and has 52,697 Followers. But he did.

This is how real-time media works – connecting with people who are living and operating in real-time too.

If you are not connecting you are not engaging, and the less you engage the less likely you are to experience the unexpected and unpredictable; the things which make social media marketing edgy, fun and relevant.

Of course, as a copywriter, I should have known better than to publish something I felt was ‘good enough’ -  just because I wasn’t expecting anyone ‘significant’ to see it was a poor excuse.

Fortunately, it worked out for the good.

• I’m now known to one the most influential marketing commentators in the US (Although not an approach I would recommend)
• I have first hand experience of the power of the ‘new rules’ of social media marketing
• I unexpectedly discovered some some invaluable lessons to share with you.

Keep on Tweeting…you just never know.

P.S. My eBook the New Rules of Writing for the Web was produced along the lines that David recommends. Judging by the response and feedback I’ve received, he was spot on.

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